Who-ville

Before Christmas we visited Whoville at Opryland. Yep, we met all the Who's and even said hi to the Grinch. The entire city is made of ice and the building is kept at a frigid 9 degrees to keep it from melting. That being said, let me add that my adorable yet incredibly sassy little lady refused and I do mean REFUSED (screaming, flailing, kicking on the floor and all that jazz) to wear her gloves. So then she was horribly grumpy the whole time because her hands hurt. Well HELLO- its 9 degrees put on your stinkin' gloves! But no, and yes I do mean NO, I will suffer but definitely not in silence.

The ice was really cool. The child was not.

I'm sorry I've been so lazy about updating the blog, but life has been a little chaotic. Jona made it home from Mexico without amoebas and without fleas so all in all a safe return. Carol Ann arrived after my parents left to continue the grandparent spoiling of Hailey and we had a great week together before Daddy came home. Then Tony arrived a few days later and stayed to play until last Friday. Hailey had such a fun time with all the grandparents, I'm not sure that Jona and I are entertaining enough for her anymore!

So since I haven't updated in so long, this post will include lots of pictures. We start with a Diego reading session with Grandma her first morning in Nashville. Diego has completely consumed our lives, and although I often feel terrible that she is watching what feels like an endless amount of television, I can honestly say that she is learning from him. She can now count to 10 in english and in spanish, and knows an amazing number of spanish words and uses them appropriately. Her spanish vocabulary is just about as good as mine at this point!

The next pic just cracks me up because Hailey was quietly playing in her room when I walked in and found this scene. Please note that every baby doll has her own blankie, book, and cell phone...what else could a girl need?!?

Daddy's arrival home means lots and LOTS of running, playing and tickling! It really is astounding how much weight these children's toys can hold! This particular car was purchased with love from Gammy and Grampy and sings a variety of lovely, catchy, sing along tunes that are oh-so-fun to hear over and over and over again. When you hit the horn button it honks, next time it whistles, and then it plays what we refer to as her 'travelin music'. Whenever she is pushing you or she is being pushed, the movement must stop until she hits the button enough times to find her theme song.

Which brings us to Christmas tree shopping. We went to a little market just down the road from our house and picked out our tree in a matter of minutes. That is absolutely unheard of for us. It usually takes us multiple trips and at least one large argument to purchase a tree and get it in the house. No fighting this time. Walked onto the lot, picked the third tree we looked at, got it home, put Hailey to bed, got the tree in the house, adjusted it once, and VOILA- Christmas arrived in Nashville! Amazing. Hailey came out into the family room the next morning and stood in awe and said, "Mom, its beautiful." No lights or ornaments required, just a really cool tree in her house is all the girl needs. Decorating has also been fun. We put all the breakable ornaments on the top half so little hands wouldn't get to them, so the tree is rather top heavy. But we left a bunch for Hailey to hang and she did a fabulous job. She took so much time to find just the right place for each one and couldn't hang any of them until they got a hug and a kiss. She really is just too precious.

Well, that's enough for now. I'll try to do better, especially with Christmas, New Years, and her birthday rapidly approaching. And never fear, although we won't be with the rest of our families this year, Hailey will be more than adequately spoiled rotten :) Love to all.

She may be sick, but she is still adorble

Just cause she doesn't feel good doesn't mean she shouldn't look good!

Happy Turkey Day

I am so behind on my updates, sorry. Life has been a little crazy. Jona left for Mexico and my parents arrived to help with Hailey and to spend Thanksgiving with us. There are no words for how helpful they have been! Last weekend we all drive to Mississippi to visit Chris Perrin and family and while we were there Hailey chose to share her latest daycare bug (for her it was double ear infections) with everyone. Lots of tissues flying around and the constant noise of coughing children...a lovely time together, really :) Gammy got it first and still has the constant throat tickle, but Grampy got hit the hardest with pneumonia. Yep, thats right folks, I said pneumonia. See if they ever come visit us again! So we've been a snot filled bunch!

I worked Thanksgiving, so we just did our turkey day today. Gammy fixed quite a feast and Hailey is quite the fan of turkey smothered in gravy...and I mean floating in it. I am ready to fall sound asleep on the couch but I wanted to share the latest pics first. Let the holidays begin!!

Late Halloween Entry

I forgot to talk about our pre-Halloween adventures in my last post. The Sunday before Halloween we went to Gentry Farm which advertised it's pumpkin patch and 4 acre corn maze as the best in Nashville. Apparently they hadn't updated their ads post summer drought-please note the dead corn and lack of pumpkins. Sad, sad, sad times had fallen on Gentry Farm, but they had no problem with charging us to get in and go on the hay ride that involved NO hay and a few cows for our viewing pleasure. Not the best Sunday outing thus far.

So we bought our pumpkin at Publix and carved away. Hailey loved it and dug right in. We went with the cat theme for its face and for our first pumpkin I think we did a pretty darn good job.

Happy Halloween

There have been major developments since our last posting. Hailey started school two weeks ago and loves it! From the very first day she took over the joint and is now queen of the classroom. Her teacher loves her and there has not been a single tear shed over being left there. Apparently she really was ready. She asks everyday if she is going, and Jona says when he drops her off in the morning he can barely even get a kiss good-bye! Such a big girl. She is only there part time, but of course by the third day she already had a snotty nose...taking her antibodies!!

Halloween was great! Hailey was a kitty cat and thought she was pretty hot stuff when we trick or treated in our neighborhood. Of course, the best part was not the candy, it was the fact that almost every house had a puppy or kitty in the doorway, one even had a Great Dane- it was tough to pull her away.

I started work and can't decide if I'm going to like it or not. The hospital is very small and has a totally different feel from my last job, which is both a good and bad thing. I am in the newborn nursery, so I don't really get to work with moms as much anymore and I do miss the education part of things. We don't have neonatologists in house, unlike in Miami, so we the nurses are pretty much the be all and end all for the newborns. That both excites and terrifies me with every delivery I attend. I guess only time will tell which emotion wins out.

Jona leaves for Mexico in 4 days. He will be gone for a month to a town with no phones, no cell service, and no internet. Its going to be quite an adjustment for all of us and he is already dreading how much Hailey will grow up in that short amount of time. He is trying to convince me not to teach her anything new while he is away...don't think that's going to work out for us :)

Fall seems to have finally arrived. Our days are lovely and the leaves are starting to change. Hailey and I went on a walk this morning in Radnor Park and although this time we only saw one deer (the first time we saw 13!), it was still fun to have to wear our coats and have chilly fingers. Gammy and Bampa arrive next week and we're supposed to have our chilliest weather yet...I'm sure Dad will love that!

So, that's the skinny from Nashville. Hugs to everybody!!

What to do today...

We're not sure what we're going to do this afternoon, but I wanted to remind everyone how adorable my little girl is...

Now this is some serious multitasking- putting on make up while Dora flies like an eagle.

And clearly this meal included ranch dressing and she must consume every last drop.

Another busy Saturday

Well, so far Fall in Nashville is great! Its fun that every weekend we have to pick between so many different things to do. And they're all FREE! This Saturday we went to Biscuits & Bluegrass at the Loveless Cafe in the morning.

Nationally acclaimed and frequented by celebrities, world travelers and local appetites alike, the Loveless Cafe serves up award-winning country ham and red eye gravy, real Southern-fried chicken, and Nashville's favorite scratch biscuits with homemade preserves cooked right in the kitchen. (www.lovelesscafe.com)

There was a live Bluegrass band pickin' in the sun with fried chicken and your choice of sides being served on the porch. I mean really, can you beat that? Ok, yes. You can add pony rides in the back, face painting, and quaint little shops filled with everything from jam to Christmas ornaments! Sadly, Hailey was Grumpy Grumperstein so we didn't stay long, but we were there long enough to say that the biscuits were indeed the best we've ever had.

In the afternoon, after Sleepy Von Grumpybum refused to nap, we headed to Germantown for Octoberfest. What an adorable part of Nashville this turned out to be. Almost reminded me of New Orleans with the front porches and friendly people. Of course, instead of etouffee there was bratwurst, and instead of jazz there was polka, but the similarities were there nonetheless. If we're being honest though, Hailey's favorite part was the incredible number of puppies running around. Everyone had a dog and I think Hailey was sure she'd found a little piece of heaven.

Next week I'll be reporting on either the Music & Molasses Festival or Harvest Fest or Ghoul Days at the zoo or the local corn maze & pumpkin patch...so many options, so many Saturdays to fill.

Sometimes it seems like the only way out...

Poor guy. He is so tormented, this is what its come to.

Celebrating Fall in the heat

Yesterday was another great Nashville day. The three of us started the day at Cheekwood, a historic site that is now the home of an art museum and botanical gardens. This season they have decorated the grounds with a variety of scarecrows designed by various groups and artists. We only covered maybe half of the estate and it was beautiful. I would imagine that in the Spring when everything is in bloom it must be breathtaking. As for the weather we've been having, plants can't decide if they should blossom or die so there weren't too many flowers! But the scarecrows were fun and Hailey had a great time running up and down the pathways. We ended our morning there with a little adventure in the art room. Apparently every Saturday they do arts and crafts for kids, something different every week. This week was fish painting. And no, we weren't painting pictures of fish, we painted an actual fish. Yes, a dead fish. And then we used it as a sort of print to make our picture. Hailey thought it was a riot just to play in the paint, I think it was kind of gross, but the picture is hanging on the fridge either way :)

After that we headed to Centennial Park for the annual Celebration of Cultures. We expected something a little bigger, but it was still fun. There were a couple of stages set up with different kinds of music and dancing and an area where local organizations had booths set up with info and crafts of their respective countries. All that and international fair food too! Entrance to the Parthenon was also free for the weekend. The Parthenon is in the middle of the park and is supposed to be an exact replica of the original. Strange that it is in Nashville, I agree, but there it stands. Inside there are replicas of different statues and an ENORMOUS recreation of the goddess Athena as it stood in the Parthenon in Athens. By enormous I mean 42 feet tall and decked out in a gold robe flanked by a serpent. Even stranger I swear. I'm glad I've seen it so now I don't have to wonder, but I'm even happier that it was free.

The only downside of the day was the oppressive heat. I mean, we moved out of Miami, why is it 90 in October. We went through many popsicles at the fair and Hailey passed out cold as soon as we put her in her air conditioned car seat. Bring on the seasonal shift PLEASE!

She is so Britney

Backyard driving is a dangerous sport. Children should not be permitted to sit in the front seat with their mothers. Crazy driver.

Harvest Days

This past Saturday, Hailey and I attended Harvest Days at the Nashville Zoo. There is a pre-Civil War mansion on the zoo grounds (I have no idea why the zoo was built around this place but it is so there you have it) and once a year they open it up for tours and set up tents all around the property with people dressed up in clothes from the 1800's doing things like quilting, rubber stamping, making yarn from wool, etc, etc. Its real hands on for the kids and Hailey even got to decorate one of the pieces of the quilt they made and drink freshly pressed apple cider! We saw horses and cows and talked to the chickens, and Hailey tried to pick a squash from the garden...clepto. It was a great day despite the oppressive heat, its fun to think that fall festivals have started and perhaps the weather will cool down again at some point!

Last night we went to the Opryland Hotel and Convention Center. We had heard about it over and over again, but couldn't really imagine what could be so great about a hotel that it was considered a Nashville 'must-see'. Let the following quote from their website explain...

"Gaylord Opryland is recognized around the world for its extraordinary service, luxurious accommodations and first-class entertainment. Under majestic, climate-controlled glass atriums, you'll be surrounded by nine acres of lush indoor gardens, winding rivers and pathways, and sparkling waterfalls where you can unwind, explore, shop, dine, and be entertained to your heart's content. Highlights include a 44-foot waterfall, fountain shows, and tours aboard our Delta Flatboats - right inside the hotel."

Yes, thats right folks, a boat tour inside ONE of the THREE atriums in the hotel! They are currently wrapping up their Summerfest which includes nightly shows in the atriums. We arrived in time for HydroponiX, Plants that Rock, which exlains the pictures of the man with the plant on his head. The atriums are amazing, enormous, and perfect for small children with lots of energy. This certainly was a completely free, Nashville 'must-see' event!